"Hehe, you little thing."
When Jiang Yan heard Yae Miko say that she had snuck out on her own and that Raiden Makoto, Raiden Ei, and Kitsune Saiguu knew nothing about it, he immediately let out a sigh of relief.
"So mischievous."
The casually familiar way Jiang Yan addressed her made Yae Miko stiffen slightly.
Yet she had no way to refute it.
The man before her had lived for thousands of years.
He had held her long before she even took human form.
So hearing him say such things was, in a way, perfectly reasonable.
Compared to him, she truly was just a "little thing."
It left her feeling somewhat aggrieved.
Normally, she was the one calling others little ones.
Now it was her turn to be called that.
Seeing her slightly frozen expression from his deliberate teasing, Jiang Yan smiled with obvious amusement.
Opportunities to make this sly fox speechless were rare.
"So? Now that you've seen me, has your curiosity been satisfied?"
Jiang Yan looked at her and smiled.
"It's said that Tianquan is elegant and extraordinary—a renowned beauty among men."
"Now that I've seen you in person, the rumors truly weren't exaggerated."
Yae Miko's voice was soft and alluring, almost hypnotic.
Yet Jiang Yan frowned slightly, surprise flashing across his face.
"That line…"
"Did you copy it from Hero's Journey?"
"How do you know that quote came from Hero's Journey?!"
Yae Miko stared at him in astonishment.
Jiang Yan merely smiled mysteriously.
Was he supposed to tell her that Hero's Journey had actually been written by him?
After the Khaenri'ah war, as Liyue steadily developed, Jiang Yan's duties as Tianquan weren't nearly as overwhelming as one might imagine.
During his free time, he began doing things to blend into ordinary life.
Writing novels.
Storytelling.
Running restaurants.
Even working as a street vendor.
One could say Jiang Yan had dabbled in nearly every trade in Liyue simply out of boredom.
And the source of that quote—
Was one of his major works from three hundred years ago.
Hero's Journey.
Watching Jiang Yan's smile, Yae Miko quickly realized something.
"You're not about to tell me…"
"That Hero's Journey, which became wildly popular in Inazuma three hundred years ago… was written by you?"
Three hundred years ago…
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"It really was you?!"
Jiang Yan shrugged.
"Who knows?"
"It's just a book from three centuries ago. Whether it was me or not doesn't really matter."
His tone remained calm.
But Yae Miko absolutely could not remain calm.
Back then, the novel's popularity in Inazuma had sparked an entire wave of fascination with wandering swordsmen and heroic tales.
It had even inspired her to establish Yae Publishing House, earning a fortune through selling copies of Hero's Journey.
Though Jiang Yan hadn't outright admitted it, Yae Miko had already decided he was the author.
Instantly, the way she looked at him changed.
Her eyes grew noticeably brighter.
Judging from the writing quality of Hero's Journey—
Anything Jiang Yan wrote would surely become a bestseller.
This wasn't a person.
This was a walking Mora tree.
"Alright, now you've seen what I look like."
Seeing the strange glint in Yae Miko's eyes, Jiang Yan knew this fox was definitely plotting something.
So he quickly changed the subject.
"When are you planning to head back?"
Please go back soon.
Jiang Yan feared that Yae Miko's arrival might lead Kitsune Saiguu, Raiden Ei, and the others to chase after her to Liyue.
That would be far more trouble than it was worth.
"Originally, I only planned to take a quick look and leave."
"But now…"
Her eyes curved with amusement.
"I suddenly have a reason to stay a little longer."
She smiled slyly.
"What? Surely Tianquan wouldn't drive away a junior?"
"Besides, I am an honored guest from Inazuma."
Wonderful.
Just wonderful.
Classic sly fox.
Jiang Yan ground his teeth internally.
But she wasn't wrong.
As the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine—and technically his junior—there was no proper reason for him to chase her out of Liyue.
"Fine. Do as you like."
Jiang Yan sighed helplessly.
"My, my. Don't worry."
"I won't cause Tianquan any trouble."
Yae Miko smiled lightly.
"But speaking of which…"
Her expression suddenly became serious.
She stepped closer.
Her fox-like eyes gazed directly into his.
"Are you really planning to keep avoiding Ei and Kitsune Saiguu forever?"
"You know… all these years, they've never stopped talking about you."
Yae Miko truly had grown curious because of how often they mentioned him.
That curiosity was precisely why she had secretly boarded the Kamisato Clan's ship to Liyue.
Hearing her words, Jiang Yan's face darkened.
If you keep talking like this, we're not continuing this conversation.
Didn't she realize he'd been deliberately avoiding the topic?
"Adult matters aren't for a little girl to meddle in."
At his words, Yae Miko puffed out her cheeks like a displeased child.
Then her mischievous smile returned.
"I'm not a little girl anymore, you know~"
"I'm quite grown now."
"Want to see for yourself?"
As she spoke, she deliberately straightened her posture.
Her chest lifted slightly.
Jiang Yan coughed awkwardly and turned his head away.
Even in the game she had been impressive—
But in person, the scale was even more exaggerated.
"Alright, alright. I can't win against you."
Jiang Yan sighed.
"Mhm? You still haven't answered my question."
Yae Miko looked completely unwilling to let him escape.
"Stop."
"Let's end this topic here for now."
Jiang Yan let out another weary sigh.
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